Rape: Gay Porn’s Newest Fetish?

There was a time when rape was pretty much an abstract concept to gay men. Now suddenly — and strangely — it’s all over the place, especially our porn. Let’s recount the strange and unfortunate confluence of fact and fiction of the past couple of months, shall we?

In August, Mason Wyler posted a vivid and graphic rape fantasy on his blog. A few months later he actually was brutally raped. Instead of coming to his support, many people doubted his story. He was ridiculed by the police and fellow porn star Chad Manning even went so far as to suggest it was some kind of publicity stunt, which ultimately prompted Mason to publish extensive, and irrefutable proof on his blog.*

Then last week we saw the simultaneous release of two gay porn films (one very amateur, one very big budget) that explore the rape theme, the tone of the later even spawned its own mini-controversy as some fans expressed concern.

Tom October 31st, 2008 at 6:15 AM

Wolf October 31st, 2008 at 3:55 PM

Like it or not, rape in some form or another is a very common fantasy for people of any sexual orientation, and probably always has been. So has violence. Why shouldn’t studios cash in on that? Porn is about fantasy. If you don’t have rape fantasies, you don’t have to watch rape porn. Same goes for violent porn. If you can’t tell the difference between fantasy and reality, you shouldn’t be watching porn in the first place but that’s probably the least of your problems.

The same goes for all the complaints about plot detracting from the sex. If you don’t want plot, then don’t watch it. There’s no shortage of plotless banging if that’s all you’re interested in. Some people, however, obviously do want some plot, otherwise studios would have stopped producing it long ago. It’s called capitalism.

No one is forcing anyone to buy or watch this movie or any other. Some people do get off on things that others consider taboo, unwholesome, or even sinful. Sound familiar?

Kirk October 31st, 2008 at 6:51 PM

Rape fantasies aren’t uncommon. Especially for people who aren’t entirely comfortable with their desires, they may sort of compartmentalize those desires into a rape fantasy that takes the control away from them. The key is this is still a fantasy, and the person is getting pleasure from it, since it’s freeing them from having to fully take responsibility for their desires.

So it’s reasonable that this sort of fantasy might be a fixture of some gay men’s erotic imagination. You see it a lot in women, too, or anyone else who has felt the need to repress their sexual feelings at some point in their lives.

The question is whether it’s responsible to incorporate realistic rape scenes into porn. It’s been shown that actions depicted in porn don’t “imprint” themselves on people and encourage them to do the same things. That rebuts the common anti-porn crusader argument that (straight) porn dehumanizes women. Still, it is an interesting question, and I would hope that the porn makers consider it carefully and really think about why they are putting out such material. Is it solely for shock value and to push the envelope? If so, maybe they should think better of it.

Dawgson October 31st, 2008 at 10:04 PM

anon314159 October 31st, 2008 at 11:03 PM

These are really tricky issues in my opinion. On one hand, many people — myself included — have fantasies about being raped. Porn is an area where I think most of us want as many different choices as possible, and as little censorship as possible as well. However, is it true that realistic depictions of rape in porn actually trigger some wonky people to go out and actually commit rape? If it is, I think studios shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the effects their products are having on society.

In any event, I think the treatment Wyler received after he reported being raped is just appalling. How jaded are people?

The “black eye” photo, in particular, has been refuted to the point of metaphysical certainty that it is in fact a photoshop fake.

And then of course there was the photoshopped fake police reports (that you might have missed while on your internet-free vacation; Mason hastily deleted those once Queerclick exposed those as forgeries):

It’s a free country, you guys can obviously believe what you want to believe…but I must say, my readers and I got quite a hearty chuckle this morning when we saw this post describe Mason’s “evidence” as “irrefutable!”

V.J. November 1st, 2008 at 9:07 AM

Rob November 1st, 2008 at 1:49 PM

Frankly, male rape does exist in real life. If we are talking about either a teleplay, screen play, or stage drama in which a portrayal of rape is meant to move the action of the drama, I think it might be allowable because there is an attempt at verisimilitude, to portray an actual event, or to educate the public.

I make a distinction between the protrayal of a rape for a documentary or even drama, especially if public awareness of the violence that is rape is the goal, stated or unstated.

If we are talking gratuituous, near-violent domination and agression, no I am not for its portrayal in adult film because, unfortunately, some individuals would be encouraged to try the imitate the rape in real life. In a nutshell, rape is a violation of the person of another by means of force, coercion, and seduction. I don’t believe we should give simulated rape playtime in other situations because someone believes it is the new fetish du jour.

Will November 1st, 2008 at 5:34 PM

As far as the Wyler matter goes, the most “refutable” aspect of his account is that there were so many of them — six in all, I believe, with each one differing in many crucial aspects from the previous one. There is just no way for a rational person not to be skeptical. My own view is that something unpleasant probably occurred, but it was nothing like a “rape” as we understand that term. And I do think he milked it for publicity’s sake.

For anyone who is interested and has the time, the following very long thread in the JustUsBoys forum is very revealing. It starts out with the majority of posters being very sympathetic to him, but as the obfuscations and lies started to be uncovered, the tide turned very quickly to most posters not believing him.

Wyler also posts in that thread, and simply stonewalls requests by me and others to explain the doctored “black eye” photo. That silence speaks volumes IMHO.

Will November 2nd, 2008 at 4:03 AM

Alan P. November 2nd, 2008 at 6:59 AM

Porn is about FANTASY from start to finish with ‘beautiful’ people engaging in sexual activities at the drop of a hat (or more often some other piece of clothing) using some improbable positions in a variety of (sometimes very strange) locales. Maybe there are some people who can walk into a bar filled exclusively with good-looking hunks and start an orgy within 5 minutes, but I’ve never seen it happen, nor do I expect to see it happen outside of a porn film/clip.

So when you’re talking about ‘rape’ in porn one has to keep the fantasy element always in mind. So as long as we’re talking about ‘simulated’ rape and murder and not the filming of actual rape or snuff, what’s the big deal? RJ Danvers was NOT brutally murdered this summer while making ‘To the Last Man’ and is now at home, going to school and blogging about a variety of topics, including how much fun it was making the movie. And, as it is pointed out previously, it will be up to consumers to decide whether to buy/rent that movie or support that genre. And if people do support it, I don’t think we’re in any position to condemn them (or producers for making them), as long as it remains clearly understood that this is simulated-fantasy and has the full consent of the participants from start to finish.

Because I do NOT buy the ‘monkey see – monkey do’ argument. Rape has been going on long BEFORE the advent of photography and if all the pictures/videos/dvds/etc. of porn involving simulated rape/forced sex were to suddenly disappear tomorrow, there would still be men and women being raped.

As for the failure of people to believe Mason’s rape claims, there were no doubt a few who were influenced by his background in porn. The phrase ‘you can’t rape the willing’ is almost always trotted out by someone at some point who is disinclined to believe the victim. But, in Mason’s case, the way he broke the story and revised and re-revised the more improbable details as time passed is what, I believe made most people into skeptics. In other words the majority of those who doubted were not saying ‘Male rape can’t happen’ or ‘Mason’s making it all up’ but rather ‘there are so many holes and lies and contradictions in Mason’s various accounts that one doesn’t know when, or if, he’s telling the truth’.

In any event, allowing a gun-toting stranger into your house and consenting to him tying you up seems to me to be a on a totally different level of risky/irresponsible behaviour than watching, or even producing, porn with simulated rape scenes…

Will November 2nd, 2008 at 1:11 PM

I just wanted to add a footnote to the Mason Wyler story:

I just discovered today that the fake “black eye” photo we mentioned above, which was posted by Wyler with his original account of the “rape,” has only fairly recently been removed from his blog. However, it still accompanies the interview he gave to AVN, in which he was supposedly attempting to set the record straight.

Lars November 3rd, 2008 at 3:48 AM

I know that there are those who still believe in Mason’s story, but I do not. I feel it is unfortunate and insensitive of him to have carried a blog posting into a literal portrayal as he has done. For what it is worth, the “irrefutable evidence” that he has posted consists of paperwork that could easily have been faked. Since, he has faked so many other things in this regard (paperwork and fake photos), I cannot believe anything other than this was a cruel, selfish hoax and I will no longer buy any of his vids. Case closed on a liar.

V.J. November 3rd, 2008 at 9:42 AM

I agree with Lars,
I do not purchase many porn DVD’s,
[cleaning lady always winds up picking them up].
I did purchase “Black and Blue” because of MW.
Now, having paid attention to this man for a brief period of time.
Well, to put it bluntly, he makes me sick!

Lars November 4th, 2008 at 7:50 PM

It is important to be told the truth, Chriso. I do not wish to harm anyone, but I expect to at least be treated with truth and decency. Mason Wyler has treated all of his fans with contempt and disdain. It is Mason Wyler, the liar, who is an a–hole as you so aptly put it.

Will November 4th, 2008 at 9:50 PM

chrisso – Tell that to the Houston PD, Ben Taub Hospital, the Dallas PD, Parkland Hospital, Dallas PD Detective Arleen Martinez, the U.S. Army and all of the “troops,” MW’s cop neighbor who “ignored” his cries for help, etc. These were all real people and institutions slandered by MW if his story is false.

Tell that to the Duke lacrosse team while you’re at it. And to all REAL victims of rape,

Dawson November 5th, 2008 at 7:32 PM

I believe in Mason. Why do queers have to be so judgemental. He has my support. Until you have some real proof that this was a fake you are victimzing the person who just was raped. Mason seems like a real honest person on his blog and I enjoy reading them. Must we cast stones?

To D Ulery October 25th, 2014 at 8:59 PM

Scott K November 8th, 2008 at 2:23 PM

Why the naked photo and commission-paying link for Jack Venice? That looks like you’re wanting us, your readers to be titillated by him, and/or to ensure you make money out of reporting him as being a rapist. Or, to put it another way, if Mason’s rapist turned out to be a porn actor too, would you want us to buy his videos?

Doesn’t really wash well with your apparent concern for rape in gay porn that is reflected in the rest of your post.

Roberto February 27th, 2009 at 1:43 PM

Jay May 23rd, 2009 at 8:24 PM

Okay, I’m just gonna throw my hat in the ring on this and see if anybody cares. I’m a gay guy and a survivor of rape. I also watch rape fantasy porn.

Firstly most of the rape fantasy pornography on the market today is pathetically tame compared to the real thing, and everyone should be thankful for that. I have watched actor reproductions that resemble rape more accurately, and there’s nothing erotic about them, they’re actually quite scary and distinctly different from the porn-rape you see done by adult entertainment stars. Beyond that, The real experience of rape is far worse than anything you could watch, and anyone encouraged by accounts of rape to actually attempt the act, be those accounts real or fictitious, accurate or poorly done, are already desensitized to the point where you’d have to gut someone in front of them to disgust them, and even then, there are those among them who probably wouldn’t flinch at it.

Secondly, rape is about a psychologically or emotionally weakened or wounded person attempting to empower themselves at the expense of another, particularly if that person is weakend or wounded in the area of gender or sexual perception, body issues, etc. often after being victimized by another and then knowing no way to deal with it except to take it out on someone else in turn. If a person is screwed up enough emotionally to commit rape either because they need to fell powerful or think so little of others, rape porn putting the idea in their head isn’t the problem, nor does it aggravate the problem significantly more than the callous shop-talk of the average guy spewing out tales of his sexual conquests, gay or straight. It’s the person that’s fucked up, not the porno.

Stop pointing the finger at objects and COMPLETELY UNRELATED third parties and blaming them. These are the lines you need to be thinking on with rape cases. Why did the person rape? Did his parents not raise him well? Who victimized him, sexually, physically, verbally, or otherwise, as a child or young adult? Did the victim take unnecessary risks that made this easier than it should have been for their attacker? And no, I’m not afraid to ask that last question. Rape doesn’t always happen just because one person wants to rape another. It sometimes is made much easier by some idiot at a club accepting a drink that they didn’t see someone mix or open, or walking alone at night through a dangerous area, or not naively trusting and going home with someone you’ve just met when they could easily subdue you in any number of ways and then do what they want, including rape and/or murder. The main responsibility to prevent rape lies on the person who could rape to not do so, but (and I say this as a rape survivor) a huge secondary responsibility lies in the rest of us not taking stupid risks like going out alone, trusting strangers to buy us drinks that we don’t see opened or prepared, or going to an unfamiliar place for a sexual encounter. I know gay culture is very rife with this kind of casual, open behavior. That doesn’t make it smart or safe, and it’s one of the reasons I don’t drink when I go out OR go out to large, crowded places like clubs or parties unless I have at least one or two friends there who can check up on me and who I can check up on.

To be quite blunt. Rape porn is in essence harmless because someone who enjoys not just the fantasy of rape, but the actual thought and idea of going out and overpowering someone else sexually is not going to be stopped by a lack of encouragement, and frankly encouragement is wasted on them. Those who do not derive pleasure from the thought of actually doing sexual violence to an unwilling person won’t be swayed by some cinematic reproductions of play-rape, and take it from someone who’s experienced the real thing, anything and everything you see in porno is remarkably tame compared to actual rape. If you saw a taping of an actual rape, it would scare the hell out of you or sicken you, and if it does neither, I question your mental state.

Stop pointing the finger at other people. The problem is in the rapist. The problem is almost always caused by someone else doing something to them long before they’re a rapist, and often long before their first healthy sexual experience. ANY number of abuses can cause this, intentional or not. Beatings, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, broken homes, REALLY bad role models and no good ones, all of these things can help a person grow up into the kind of individual who feels a need to victimize others to make himself feel better, everything from simple bullying to rape, murder, and worse. Thinking that a few erotic little videos make that much of a difference is being way too flattering to the influence of porn.

By the way, ;-P no offense intended to the porn industry, whose products I often and greatly enjoy!

Skip July 27th, 2009 at 9:54 AM

I remember the night that Moe got my cherry. We had been smoking pot, and he kept talking about how horny it made hi, and that I should feekl comfortable taking my clothes off in his apartment. We drank a lot of beer, and when I cam back from the bathroom, Moe was naked, and jacking off looking at a gay fuck movie. I had nevr seen on, and Im ashamd to say, it hgot me hard. Moe stood up beheind me and asked me if I’d ever kissed another man, and I said no, but I wantd to see what it was like. All of a sudden, his tongue was in my mouth, and I was harder than I had ever been before. I had ti tase the cum that was alreday dribbing out of his dick, and when I put his 10 in cockin my mouth, it choked me. But Moe ut his tonh=gue up my buttpussy and asked me if I wanted to feel like being a girl. I said yeah, and nex tbing I know his 10 inch dick was in my pusy and I was crying it hurt so bad, Then he told me to smell this little brown bottle, and I did, I stunk, but it made my buttholepussy quit hurting. He picked me up and carried me into his bedroo, and made me take alo 10 inched of his dick in my ass. I hurt so bad it made me cry, but whe he asked me if I wanted to sniff that bottle againk, it suddenly me me feel good. I told him to come here and kiss me like a gaggi becasue thats hows boys at schoo, called it. H did, and then he shot about a quart of cum up my ass, an it felt so good coming out, it made me shoot too. After it was over, I was just laying there, and then Moe pissed in my mouth – it didn’t gross me out, it made me want to be a faghgit again. Ev3n since then, Moe and I hav lived together, and he’s my sissydaddy every night, an I love being his queer boy.

Rob January 6th, 2010 at 12:52 PM

As long as the gay rape is fantasy and not real, it should be allowed. Some guys love to watch gay rape fantasy (not real)because it appeals to satisfying a man’s desire to fight and wrestle and also desire for conquer and dominate and fuck!